WHY SCHOOL IS HELL FOR SOME TEENS

1. Bullying

There is no doubt about it, bullying is the worst nightmare that teens face in high schools and even in some campuses. With most schools around the world clinging on to cultures that date back to the last century, the millennial generation is constantly falling victim to this culture. For example, being told to make a phone call using a shoe by a Form Four might sound normal to grown-ups who studied in the past decade but for millennials, it is not! Interestingly, prefects are at the fore front of doing these acts of evil to secure power and respect. Most students end up depressed due to bullying knowing that they cannot do anything about it. Parents at times turn out unreliable in such situations since they think of one as a weakling or lazy and they tell them to learn to survive.

2. Relationships

Relationships can make your high school life hellish especially if you don't handle them carefully. Relationships are every teen's dream. Dating a hot person is usually the ultimate experience in high school since it comes with a lot of respect and fame at the same time. If you fail to have a boyfriend or girlfriend in high school, it becomes a frustrating experience. You are even branded gay, 'lesbian or witch... simply because you could not find the right person. Even when' it came to squads and cliques; you became an outcast. This can really hurt someone emotionally and they end up being very lonely.

3. Drugs

Drugs make school hell especially for those students that study in day institutions. Most students get exposed to drugs when they join high school and that's the moment they really get confused about their lives. One is torn between joining the 'cool kids' club comprising of students who take drugs and are liked by almost all girls or stay loyal to their true self .and keep off drugs. The latter comes with sacrifices that most students are rarely willing to make. For instance, stay off drugs and the cool squads, and lose all the attention; the chance to be in the basketball team or rugby clique or even the, chance of being liked by girls.

4. Thirst for social media fame

This might sound silly, but it's true that as much as social media might be a glamorous platform to teens, it can at the same time be their worst nightmare. For those who have managed to crack the secret behind getting the social media fame that they so long for, their lives usually seem to be perfect. But for those who get jealous and even obsessed with the thirst to get the same fame, they go to unbelievable heights in search of fame. Recently, there was the #lfikiewazazi scandal that saw very many teenagers not only embarrassed but also banned from certain photography sites around the city. This was a desperate move to seek fame that was really affecting the teenagers deep in their hearts but they could not share it with anyone.

5. Poor grades

This is the most obvious reason that most students hate school wherever you go in this world. Some intellectuals argue that the ability to pass exams is not a measure of intellect of a person but then that is just a mere statement since the system in which were brought up in doesn't understand that A person's ability to pass exams gives, them both favour and respect in the society. The society doesn't understand that people are talented differently and that failing exams at times is never a choice. For those who earn poor grades, the society usually depicts them as losers who would amount to nothing, driving them into believing so or even isolating themselves from other people. Even parents start to depict them as a waste of time and investment

6. Corporal punishment

When you talk about corporal punishment, one would think that maybe you are in another era and- not the millennial age. But yes, some teachers still use this archaic practice that has been proven not effective with today's generation. Students who suffer mostly from this heinous act are those in schoolslocated in rural areas. For those in urban areas, they might be luckier to not have gone through this tradition but for the unlucky majority, this is like a norm. What most teachers do not understand is that this so-called method of instilling discipline does not only affect the student physically but also mentally and emotionally. That's why some students grow up with inhumane characters and often resort to violence to solve conflicts.

7. Poor counselling facilities in schools

This is so true when it conies to public schools since most or even all do not have any counselling facilities. It's assumed that an African kid should be strong and therefore does not need to have any counselling since they are only meant for weak "white" kids. Honestly, these are just myths that most people use as lame excuses but sincerely speaking, we are all human and, therefore, face similar challenges. The government also has not taken this matter seriously and implemented Policies that offer students emotional support. The suicide cases that have been reported in some schools are as a result of lack of counselling facilities.

8. Trying to fit in

1f you have never gone through this in your life, then you probably never existed. Every teenager seeks to fit in wherever they go, be it in school or in the hood. But mostly in school, that's where they find the challenge when it comes to fitting in. If you are a fresher or simply a poor lad in a rich man's world, you always find it difficult to keep up with the pressure and try and fit in. The pressure might be too much especially if you are unable to find a way to fit in. This is the main reason most students at times usually seek for transfers in their first months of admission into new schools.

9. Parental preference

This is every African kid's hell on earth. African parents usually tend to favour the clever or talented children over those who have below average school performance. Parents believe that only the clever ones succeed in life, and so they're worth investing in. The rest usually feel left out and unloved. They feel that their capabilities are not appreciated. When parents start complaining about rebellious kids, they forget that they at times they themselves cultivate this. It gets worse when children who perform dismally are in the same school with their intelligent Siblings. This piles pressure on them and some might even start having suicidal thoughts in extreme cases, especially if they cannot match the standards of the so-called clever ones in class.

10. Low self-esteem

This is mostly common among girls. Some girls feel they are not beautifulenough or maybe some parts of their bodies are not as 'perfect' as they would have wanted them to be. This is mostly escalated by bullies, who tend to body shame them. Some of these girls end up sliding into depression, isolating themselves and making some unwise decisions like even wanting to commit suicide. Some of them start searching for boyfriends desperately just to prove that at least someone views them as pretty or just to console themselves. In the end, some boys even take advantage of the girls, terming them, cheap, and this leads to a lot of emotional torture. Consequently, the girls might be left traumatized.

11. Lack of money in school

All the poor lads understand this very well. In high school, as much as we might deny it, it's true that money can buy you almost anything around the school. From favour from teachers, cops, good food and even positions of authority. The less fortunate students are the so-called school servants who do everything for the rest simply to get hold of a few bucks. For some, they get depressed if they can't keep up with the pressure and often end up lonely and feeling isolated.

12. Family instability 

Family instability might seem like just a small issue but trust me, it affects most students in schools, especially in public institutions. There's need to show love to a victim of such a circumstance because this is a very critical moment where the student is usually in need of counseling. Such a student can get really embarrassed if his or her classmates get wind of their situation. This can make the student to start isolating themselves and becoming anti-social.

13. Stigma

Stigmatization usually affects most students, who are suffering from terminal diseases such as HIV/Aids as well as any other body disability . They mostly feel like outcasts and often isolate themselves from the rest. They feel embarrassed. The students are discriminated against or even 'quarantined' by theirclassmates.